LAT Magazine hires — with a purpose

Lennie LaGuire may have taken the sweet buyout to leave the L.A. Times staff, but her fingerprints remain on the weekly-turned-monthly Sunday magazine. As consulting editor she's looking to hire replacements for all the good people who left when West went down. The new motto is "our goal is to make the magazine a journal of sophisticated localism." The memo:

The magazine has openings for editors. With the publication now a monthly, we have expanded each issue significantly and launched a number of new columns on the art and craft of living in Southern California along with regular features on home, fashion, food and travel. The next step is the introduction of a signature monthly profile. Overall, our goal is to make the magazine a journal of sophisticated localism, devoted to reporting on the people, places, objects and ideas that readers need to know about to make the most out of living here. We're looking for editors who share our passion for chronicling a vibrant and fast-changing region, and who place a premium on visual storytelling and fine writing.

Here are the positions we hope to fill, along with brief job descriptions:

Editor -- Set the overall direction for magazine, in consultation with Managing Editor John Montorio, and supervise all its content. Formulate creative approaches to themed issues and conceive and assign imaginative articles. The successful candidate will have a great eye for the revelatory profile, excellent relationships with top writers inside and outside The Times, and wide-ranging interests including arts and culture, politics, entertainment, lifestyle, real estate, food, home and entertaining. In addition to launching the profile series, this editor will be charged with developing new ways to increase the magazine's usefulness to readers--and longevity on their coffee tables. Another key objective will be to enhance the magazine's presence online, where it remains a weekly by way of regular updates and a rolling posting schedule. Magazine experience and a track record of working well with people and stories is key in this position, as is a familiarity with and passion for Los Angeles and Southern California.

Features editor(s) -- Oversee front-of-the-book columns and features, and assign and edit a wide range of feature stories and profiles. Essential attributes are versatility, a good hand with copy, a collegial outlook, broad interests and strong local knowledge. Magazine experience a plus.

Style editor -- Oversee the magazine's lifestyle, fashion, beauty and trend coverage, and assist with its coverage of home, food and entertaining. Magazine experience is necessary, as is the ability to work well with colleagues in other departments, particularly Image. We're looking for a plugged-in and enthusiastic editor with great story ideas and excellent contacts with freelance writers.

Editorial production manager -- Coordinate with advertising, marketing, edition planning and printers to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality process. Work with editors and designers on all practical and creative aspects of putting out the magazine. Oversee all fact-checking and copy editing, and supervise or assist with a variety of other essential crafts, including photo shoots and recipe testing. This position requires an ability to work cooperatively across the magazine and the newspaper, most notably with the Features Copy Desk. The ideal candidate also would have the ability to conceptualize, assign and line-edit stories on occasion, and should have experience in at least some of the magazine's key coverage areas.

Some of these positions will be filled from outside The Times, others from within. Interested applicants should contact Consulting Editor Lennie LaGuire.